


When The Bluebird Flies

by Snugglebuttkitten



Series: AU August [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien has the Fox Miraculous, Aged-Up Characters, Criminal!Marinette, Evil!Marinette, Gen, Gender-Swapped Nathalie, His name is Nate, Marinette is the Peacock, They are 18/19 years old, enemies au, just because
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-06-26 19:25:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15669735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snugglebuttkitten/pseuds/Snugglebuttkitten
Summary: Marinette Agreste is the adopted daughter of Gabriel Agreste, heir to the Agreste Fashion House, and Europe's most famous supermodel. But she is discontent with her life. Abandoned by her adopted mother, abused by her father's assistant, and neglected by her father, there is really only one rational response when a little box appears with a creature offering her the power to change her fate.Adrien Dupain-Cheng has a great life. Adoptive parents who love him dearly, reliable friends who will always stand by his side, and the chance to become a superhero? His answer is a definite yes. But when he meets his supposed partner, he finds a girl angry with the world and deadset on making those who wronged her pay.Can Adrien bring his intended partner back to the light of day, or will they both succumb to the darkness?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oooh this one is a doozy but it will be so fun. I decided not to do the typical Kwami Swap as I originally intended. So Tikki and Plagg do not come into play and Nooroo was never captured by Gabriel (um... spoiler alert???) in this universe. So no Hawkmoth either.
> 
> This story will cover Days 4 (Enemy), 7 (Famous), 8 (Kwami Swap), 15 (Life Swap), and 22 (Crime) You might notice that some of the prompts I will use multiple times. Like Enemy, for example, is also part of "CATching Her Heart". 
> 
> Upon further inspection, I realize I am also turning this into a Reverse Crush AU so Day 19 also comes into play here lol
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING; There will be themes of sexual abuse in this story. Nothing too detailed but it does happen and it is part of what leads to Marinette turning evil so if that makes you uncomfortable, please turn to my much happier stories. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The world was not a beautiful place. That is the sad truth that Marinette Agreste learned when she was a small child. When she was really little, she was an optimistic little thing. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, the young orphan met each day with an enthusiastic grin plastered upon her face. She was five when she was adopted by Gabriel Agreste and his wife, Emilie. Having lost her biological parents in a freak accident when she was just an infant, the orphanage was all she knew until she was brought into a world of fame and fortune, of flashing lights and prying eyes. She didn’t mind, though. She had a family, for the very first time in her young life, and if that meant being paraded before the media, then so be it. It wasn’t long before Marinette came to learn that her adoption was only a means to garner good publicity for her adoptive father’s fashion brand.

Gabriel Agreste was not a well-liked man. He was known for being ruthless, cold-hearted, and callous. He was a hardass who seemed to take great pleasure in making his employees miserable, but it was affecting the brand and after a particularly disgruntled former employee went to the media and dragged Gabriel’s name through the mud, well he needed that little extra oomph to keep Gabriel Fashion House in the top spot. So, he adopted an orphan from a foreign country. Because who didn’t love celebrities with children of different ethnicities? Her adoptive mother, at least, was nice. In fact, Marinette quite liked Emilie Agreste. She was a kind, soft-spoken woman with a warm smile and sparkling green eyes.

Emilie Agreste was a gentle soul, and she took good care of the little orphan girl her husband had taken on without consulting her. She even grew to care for the child. But Emilie Agreste wasn’t perfect, not by any stretch of the word. As the years passed, the once love-filled marriage crumbled until Gabriel Agreste was a shell of the man she had once loved. She wanted out, and taking Marinette simply wasn’t an option. So in the dead of the night, Emilie Agreste left without a word to her husband or the daughter that she had grown to love. In typical Gabriel fashion, the man blamed the child and her already structured and tightly controlled world became even more prison-like.

But that was okay because, at the end of the day, Marinette had a family. Sure, her mother had abandoned her at the ripe age of eleven years old, and her supposed father wanted nothing to do with her aside from using her good looks to his brand’s advantage… but surely anything was better than being stuck in an orphanage for her whole life. So, she tried to make the best of it. Isolated as she was, Marinette took great comfort in the one friend her father allowed her, Chloe Bourgeois. Daughter of the mayor, Chloe and Marinette met shortly after Marinette had been adopted by the Agrestes’. Her mother and Emilie Agreste had been childhood friends, and so it was only natural that the girls were thrown together for playdates whenever the pair got together for lunch.

They didn’t get along at first. Chloe’s first impression of Marinette was that she was a simple girl, privileged enough to be adopted by a wealthy family, but that she ultimately didn’t belong in their world. Marinette’s first impression of Chloe was that she was a stuck-up brat in need of a major attitude adjustment. At least one of them was right, but Marinette soon came to see past Chloe’s prickly exterior to the loyal girl underneath and the two soon became inseparable. When Chloe’s mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer, it was Marinette who sat in the hard-backed hospital chairs and held Chloe’s hand. It was Marinette who had hugged her tightly at the funeral weeks later when her mother ultimately lost the battle and whispered that it would be okay.

In turn, when Emilie Agreste disappeared and Marinette refused to leave her room, it was Chloe who had barged in after three days and dragged her friend out of bed for some much needed retail therapy. It was Chloe who had been there to pick up the pieces and assure her friend that yes, she was valid and wanted and perhaps a bit too needy at times but that was okay. She loved her anyway. It was Chloe who had marched into Gabriel Agreste’s office and demanded that Marinette be given a week off modeling and tutoring to grieve her mother’s abandonment. Surprisingly, he had permitted her that week and for seven days Chloe had dragged Marinette shopping, to the zoo and the aquarium, to the local theme park, ensuring that her days were too full of fun to dwell on the absence of her mother.

Through thick and thin, Chloe and Marinette were there for each other throughout the year and it was Chloe who ended up convincing her father to allow her to attend school when she was fourteen. The two were inseparable and told each other everything. Well, almost everything. Marinette never did tell Chloe that sometimes at night, her father’s assistant liked to sneak into her room. She never told her how the first time he had raped her, she had only been ten years old. She was too afraid of her friend seeing her as dirty and used, so she didn’t say anything. Not to Chloe, not to her father, not to anyone. It was her little secret, and she wanted to keep it that way. 

  
  
  


The world was a beautiful place. That is the happy truth Adrien Dupain-Cheng learned from a very young age. When he was little, he was a sullen little thing. Losing his parents tragically at the age of five, Adrien was a lonesome little boy who kept to himself and didn’t interact with others well. He was a troubled kid, and most prospective families quickly overlooked him due to his penchant for throwing major tantrums. He was six when Sabine Cheng came to the orphanage. Sabine was a kind woman of Chinese descent.  She was a slightly older woman, who always smelled of sugar cookies, and always came bearing gifts for the children whenever she visited the orphanage. Usually, the gifts were toys and blankets, lightly used clothes and shoes that she had either collected through donations or had purchased out of her own pocket.

Sometimes, she brought treats. Croissants and eclairs and macaroons. All homemade by her and her husband, Tom. Adrien kept his distance at first, refusing to take anything from the woman and fleeing to hide whenever she attempted to approach him. But he was a growing boy with a natural sweet tooth and about six months after she began showing up, he finally accepted the macaroon she offered him. After that, he looked forward to her visits and began to chatter with her animatedly whenever she came to the orphanage. Sabine, he found out, lived with her husband above the bakery she owned and operated. She had no children of her own, but she had always dreamed of having them. She and Tom had struggled for years, but nothing came from it and as they got older, their chances of conceiving only grew slimmer.

About nine months after Sabine started showing up, she brought her husband with her. Adrien was a bit hesitant at first, nervous around the big bear of a man, but Tom’s warm grin soon won him over and before long the little blonde boy was giggling hysterically as the older man joked and punned with him. It was a few months later, on his seventh birthday, that Tom and Sabine asked Adrien if he might be interested in coming to live with them. Adrien was quick to accept, and the following day found himself standing in his attic bedroom, directing his new parents on where to put his new bed, desk, and already overflowing toy bin.

Life with the Dupain-Chengs’ proved to be a wonderful thing. Tom and Sabine were doting parents who loved to spoil Adrien with an endless supply of sweets and love. Adrien, in turn, flourished under their affections and proved to be a bright, witty child with a love for video games and puns just like his adoptive father. Particularly cat puns. His parents were quick to teach him to bake, and Adrien found he was quite adept at baking. In fact, he found the practice to be rather therapeutic and whenever he had a rough day at school he would retire to the bakery’s large kitchen and experiment with new flavors.

Adrien was about eleven years old when he met Alya Cesaire. The American-born girl had just transferred to their class and took the only empty seat in the room, which happened to be the one right next to Adrien. A hardworking student, Adrien was fairly friendly with all his classmates but his shyness and social awkwardness made it difficult for him to make lasting friendships. Alya changed all of that. The girl was an immediate hit in their class, her bold nature immediately attracting Adrien’s attention. Alya easily brought Adrien out of his shell, and before long they were spending the night at each other’s houses talking about anime and superheroes and playing video games long into the night. Many times, their fellow classmates commented on their closeness and hinted that they might have romantic feelings for each other, but those suggestions were quickly shot down. They were best friends, nothing more.

Adrien met Nino Lahiffe the same year he met Marinette Agreste. He had just turned fourteen and was starting his final year of junior high. Sitting in his usual spot beside his feisty American friend, he was chattering amicably with the new boy in front of him when Chloe swept imperiously into the classroom. The boy, who had introduced himself as Nino, was a nerdy boy with an obsession for music, but Adrien immediately liked him and felt they would be very good friends. He had just been about to exchange numbers with the boy when Chloe had strutted in and stopped beside his desk, a familiar sneer on her face.

“Move, loser. You’re in my seat,” she announced without preamble, making a shooing motion. Adrien had blinked up at his childhood bully, rightfully confused considering he always sat in the same spot.

“Chloe, this has been my seat for years,” he had attempted before being rudely cut off by the blonde girl.

“Look. That seat-” she stabbed one finger at the empty spot beside Nino, “is Marinette’s seat. Which means this seat-” she slammed the flat of her hand on the tabletop before him, “is  _ my _ seat. Go on, get!”

“Um, who’s Marinette?” He had asked, earning a scoff from the girl.

“Marinette  _ Agreste _ . Only the most famous supermodel in all of Europe  _ and _ my most cherished friend. Now  _ move _ ,” she snapped. Adrien had wanted to argue, but Alya had dragged him down to the front center row with a huff and a roll of her eyes, insisting the fight wasn’t worth the trouble. Whoever the girl was, she didn’t show up that day, but Adrien felt maybe that was for the best. Anyone who was best friends with  _ Chloe Bourgeois _ was probably a terrible human being. She did, however, show up the day after that. Adrien was chattering amicably with Alya and Nino as they walked into class when he noticed the familiar girl crouched before his seat. Upon closer inspection, he was shocked and disgusted to find her fiddling with a piece of gum stuck to his seat. Unfamiliar rage seemed to course through his veins as he stalked up to her. 

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing!?” Adrien had snapped, green eyes blazing. The girl jolted as if zapped by lightning and spun around, and then  _ Adrien _ felt as if  _ he _ had been struck by lightning. She had the bluest eyes he had ever seen, framed by dark blue-black hair tied into twin tails and set into a sweet face dusted with freckles. She was breathtakingly beautiful, and for a moment he forgot why he was angry until the high pitched cackles of Chloe and Sabrina reached his ears and reminded him why.

“I- I was just-” the girl stammered, cheeks reddening as she jolted upright.

“You’re friends with Chloe, aren’t you?” Adrien interrupted abruptly. The girl gave a timid nod, shooting a glance towards her cackling friend as he snorted derisively and set a napkin over the wad of gum. The girl hovered close by for a moment longer before slinking away to join Nino in his seat. Adrien, having dealt with Chloe’s bullying ever since he had met her when he was seven, had no desire to deal with another bully and had hoped he had shut any attempts Marinette might make in the future down for good.

It was a few days later when he realized his mistake. It had been a long day and Adrien wanted nothing more than to go home. Unfortunately, he had forgotten his umbrella and despite the closeness of the bakery, the rain was coming down pretty heavily. Resigned to wait out the storm, Adrien had sighed and dropped his bag from his shoulders, preparing to sit, when the doors opened behind him and Marinette emerged. She smiled lifting one hand in greeting, but he immediately turned away. He didn’t want to make up with someone like her. She had sighed and moved a few steps ahead, opening a pink umbrella to avoid being drenched, but paused before leaving to look back at him.

“I was only trying to take the gum off your seat,” she said, and Adrien found himself looking up as her surprisingly soft voice reached his ears. She had a lyrical voice, soft and melodious, that just made you want to stop and hear what she had to say. “I don’t have many friends, and that’s okay because I have Chloe and I know she’s a lot, but she’s been there for me when no one else was. But- if not friends, I hope at least we can be acquaintances? It's my first time to a real school, and I’d really rather not start off my first year by making enemies,” she said with a rueful laugh. 

Smiling nervously, the ravenette held out the handle of the pink umbrella. Adrien stared at it, momentarily stunned, before slowly reaching out to grasp the handle. As soon as she pulled her hand back, the umbrella snapped shut on his head, jolting the poor boy. Cheeks red in embarrassment, he slowly lifted the umbrella to peek out as peals of laughter left the strange girl. He had honestly expected her to be laughing  _ at _ him like maybe she had done it on purpose. But her laughter was so open and honest, and she genuinely looked like she couldn’t help herself. Her smile was brilliant, and when she opened her tear-filled eyes, they sparkled like sapphires.

“See you later,” she had chuckled, turning and hurrying down the steps to the black car waiting at the curb.

Adrien stuttered over his response, cheeks flushed and green eyes wide with a mix of wonder and confusion. Why was he stuttering all of a sudden? And what was this new, fluttery feeling in his chest? Why did the mere thought of a pair of bluebell eyes and a dimpled, freckled smile have his stomach erupting into a mass of butterflies? Despite all these questions, of one thing Adrien was absolutely certain. The world was a beautiful place, so long as Marinette Agreste was a part of it.

  
  
  


Adrien Dupain-Cheng was eighteen years old, entering his senior year of high school when the little box appeared on his desk at home. It was after a long day at school and a shift at his parent’s bakery that the young man stumbled into his bedroom, intent on video chatting with Alya and Nino for a bit before bed when he noticed the unusual octagonal box. It was black with what appeared to be ancient Chinese characters painted in a bold red on the surface of the box. Intrigued, the boy slid into his desk chair and picked up the box, inspecting it from all sides before finally flipping it open. Immediately, a blinding orange light filled the room and with a shout, the blonde dropped the box and scooted back in his chair, lifting one hand to shield his eyes. When the light faded, he dropped his hand and blinked several times to ensure he wasn’t seeing things.

A little fox-like creature was floating before him. It yawned, tiny arms stretching out and tail swishing, before finally opening vibrant violet eyes and focusing on the boy before it. It grinned, a mischievous little grin, and floated closer. Adrien shrieked like a little girl and fell backward, out of his desk chair. Undeterred, the little creature followed him lazily as he scrambled backward, hucking anything he could at the strange thing. Finally, he grabbed a cup and slammed it down over the creature, trapping it. It rolled his eyes in amusement.

“If you’re quite done freaking out, my name is Trixx. What’s your name?” The little creature asked, swishing it’s fluffy tail curiously.

“A-Adrien,” he said nervously. “Wh-what are you?”

“I’m a Kwami. I grant powers. Specifically, I am the Kwami of Deception and you, my blonde friend, have been chosen to be Paris’ next Superhero,” Trixx said, eyes sparkling in delight. Adrien blinked, a slow smile spreading across his face.

“Me? A superhero? I like the sound of that…”

  
  
  


Marinette didn’t often allow herself to cry, but on that fateful day, she did. As Nathaniel Sancoeur left her bedroom, carefully righting his appearance, the young woman curled in on herself in the center of her large bed and sobbed. She sobbed for the loss of her innocence, so many years ago. She sobbed for the corruption of the world, for her inability to break free and escape the hand she had been dealt. She wanted a way out, but it would seem that no matter how much she wished it, she was doomed to be stuck in this life forever. Eventually, the young woman dragged herself to her bathroom to clean herself up before tackling the task of having to change her sheets without anyone being the wiser. It was as she was passing her couch that she noticed the little box sitting on her coffee table. She frowned, sure it hadn’t been there before and moved around the couch to pick it up. The box seemed to vibrate in her hand and was almost warm to the touch.

“What’s this doing here?” She murmured, to no one in particular as she sat down on her couch. Opening the box, she was immediately blinded by a ball of bright blue light. She yelped, dropping the box to shield her eyes with both hands. When the light faded, she blinked back the remaining stars and found herself staring at what looked like a tiny peacock. The creature was blue, with three little antennae sticking out of the top of her head and a gorgeous tail with darker blue and red markings. Large blue eyes with crimson pupils dominated her face as she blinked at the confused girl. Looking her over the creature’s expression immediately shifted into one of pity.

“My dear child, who has wronged you so?” The little creature crooned gently, floating closer and wiping away a tear Marinette hadn’t realized she had shed. 

“Wh-who are you?” The girl asked nervously.

“I am Duusu, Kwami of Justice. Tell me young one, what is the name of the man who has defiled you?”

“H-how do you know about that?”

“I see all, my dear. I can see your anger most of all. You’re angry at the world, and you’re angry at the people who have hurt you. You want retribution,” she murmured, stroking the young woman’s cheek comfortingly.

“I-” Marinette tried, but she couldn’t refute what Duusu was saying. She  _ was _ angry, and if she were being honest she  _ did _ want Paris to pay. Seeming to sense this, Duusu crooned comfortingly and cuddled into the girl’s cheek reassuringly.

“There, there. I know just what you need. Take up my brooch, child. Let me give you the power to make your enemies pay for what they did to you. All you have to do is say Feathers Up’ and we can make Paris  _ burn _ ,” the Kwami cooed softly, red eyes glinting brightly. Marinette looked down at the peacock shaped brooch and slowly reached out to pick it up. It felt warm and heavy in her hand as she fastened it to the collar of her shirt. Her blue gaze flickered briefly to Duusu, who bobbed her head rapidly in encouragement before she took a deep breath and spoke the words that would change her fate forever.

“Duusu, Feathers Up.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun writing this chapter and exploring their powers and abilities. Namely the peacock, who we don't know much about so far. I hope you enjoy the creative license I took with her powers!

The magic that washed over Marinette’s body was like nothing she had ever felt before. Duusu had wasted no time once the words left her mouth, diving headlong into the brooch at her throat. A sea of blue-green sparkles suffused her body in a warm, glowing light, moving from her throat to her chest, flowing down her arms to her fingertips and then traveling down to her feet. When the light cleared and the warmth finally faded, the girl opened her eyes to look into the full-length mirror that sat on the back of her bathroom door. A soft, awed gasp escaped her as she took in the change. The first thing she noticed was the transformation had changed her hairstyle from her childish pigtails into a low bun, fastened with a blue-green ribbon. A cerulean blue mask adorned her face, slightly darker over her eyes and above her nose before lightening almost imperceptibly around her bluebell eyes.

The neck of the costume was black, the peacock pin fastened just below the darker material. The suit itself was predominantly blue, with lines of light purple running from the pin, across her shoulders, and down to where her black gloves began just below her elbows. The same purple traced the upper tier of a diamond-like shape around her midsection, the lower tier a dark, royal blue. Within the diamond, from point to point and covering where her belly button would be, it was back with lighter blue filling up the rest of the diamond cut. The same light blue covered her hip bones in a shape reminiscent of a triangle but slightly more rounded, while the rest of her suit consisted of the same cerulean blue down her legs until the black boots began just below her knees.

Spread out behind her, Marinette found a five-point peacock’s tail, a few degrees darker in color than the blue of her suit. Near the end of each ‘feather’, a violet circle sat, surrounded by a lighter purple circle, and finally a navy blue circle, very similar to the eyelet design on Duusu’s own tails. Marinette spread her arms out, eyes sparkling as she admired herself in the mirror, and found a thin webbing running from her wrist to ankle on either side that seemed to disappear into the suit whenever she dropped her arms. Peculiar, but she would figure out what that was for later.

_Such a pretty little birdie. My prettiest by far._ The girl jolted as the quiet voice seemed to echo in her mind. It was weird, having another’s voice speaking in her mind, but it seemed right all the same.

“Duusu?” She asked tentatively.

_I am here,_ _mon doux poussin_.

“Can all Miraculous Holders speak to their Kwami this way?” She wanted to know.

_Not all, no. Only those with the strongest affinity for their Miraculous can use telepathy. You were born to be a peacock,_ Duusu purred. For some reason, Marinette felt the sudden urge to preen under her Kwami’s words and behind her feathered tail seemed to vibrate with pleasure. Turning, she stared curiously at her tail.

“What do I do now, Duusu? Do I have any special powers? What about a weapon?”She asked, turning every which way in search of… _something_.

_Close your eyes, my child. And hold out your right hand,_ Duusu commanded. Marinette did what she was told. _Now imagine your weapon materializing. Imagine it’s weight, the color, and feel of it._

“But I don-”

_Trust me, my pet._ Marinette felt her brow scrunch up but she did what she was told and tried to imagine the weapon. For some reason, her mind strayed to the feathers of Duusu’s tail. Something solid materialized in her hand, and when she opened her eyes there was a fold up fan in her hand. The young girl blinked startled and turned the fan over and over in her hand. She flipped it open and found it resembled her own tail more than Duusu’s, but darker, and when she pulled on one of the feathers out of curiosity, it detached and became what looked like a dart.

_Be careful, mon doux poussin. That dart is tipped in a potent venom that will paralyze your victims until judgment can be cast down upon them,_ Duusu murmured. Marinette twisted the dart back and forth in her fingers before taking aim and throwing it at her wall. The movement felt as natural as breathing. The dart struck the wall and disappeared in a hail of sparkles, and in its place, another grew back on her fan.

“Cool,” she breathed, closing the fan with a snap. Opening her hand, she watched as the weapon disappeared, as if it had never been there in the first place. “Now what, Duusu?”

_Now, you go out there and you make the people pay for their sins. Only you have the power to cast judgment down upon them. It is up to you to purge the evil from this world,_ Duusu purred. Marinette nodded slowly and moved to the wall windows that dominated one side of her room. With the click of a button, one of the windows swung open and she tossed the small remote onto her couch. It was instinct to leap onto the edge of the window, to rock back on the balls of her feet as she found her new center of balance. Her tail feathers spread out, assisting with her balance until she was certain she wouldn’t fall, and when she leaped they snapped closed once more and she was soaring.

The wind in her tail feathers gave her the most indescribable feeling. This, leaping over buildings and racing along rooftops, it was freedom. She had never felt something so amazing and as she moved across the roofs of Paris, she felt a carefree laugh bubble up and explode out of her. A wild grin of reckless abandon crossed her face, and it wasn’t until she reached the heart of downtown Paris that she finally allowed herself to slow to a halt. Her tail quivered as she stood atop a tall building, looking down at the people down below. The Parisians continued about their business, unaware of the woman watching them from above. Slower now, the girl prowled along the rooftop, marveling at how easy this all was.

Marinette had always been a rather athletic girl. Along with being a model, she was a champion fencer and exercised quite often to maintain her perfect figure. Still, bouncing across rooftops shouldn’t have felt quite so natural as it did. Eventually, Marinette found her way away from the hustle and bustle of the Parisian business district and into a lesser populated area. Here, warehouses reigned supreme and the roads and sidewalks were cracked, filled with potholes and littered with weeds. Having been raised in the lap of luxury, Marinette had never been to an area like this one and her curiosity got the best of her. Taking a quick glance around to ensure she was alone, the girl dropped from the roof she was perched upon and landed with a quiet thud on the dusty cement. The alley she ended up with a gloomy, littered with trash and stinking of dumpsters. Her nose wrinkled in disgust and her tail feathers quivered with displeasure.

_Ugh, humans are so disgusting. They leave their filth everywhere, tainting the world’s beauty with their trash,_ Duusu hissed in her mind. Marinette couldn’t help but agree with her as she picked her way through the alley, lips curling in annoyance. She was almost to the entrance of the alley when the sound of shattering glass gave her pause. Curiosity got the best of the young woman, and she found herself following the muffled sound of shouting deeper into the warehouse district. She had been walking for perhaps ten minutes when a scream split the air and she immediately picked up her pace until she was darting through the maze of buildings, eyes scanning for the source of the sound. She found them behind one of the smaller warehouses. Three men wearing dirty, tattered clothing and a girl who couldn’t have been more than sixteen. One of the men was dragging the girl from the back of a van, while another fiddled with the lock on the warehouse door. The third was keeping watch, but his back was to Marinette.

“Duusu, what do I do?” The girl whispered, a wave of nervousness filling her for the first time since donning the suit.

_Fear not, child. Tell me, what do you see before you?_ Duusu’s disembodied voice filled her head once more.

“They… they’re going to hurt that girl, Duusu. They’re gonna-” She broke off, tears pricking her eyes.

_Don’t cry, my pet. Remember, you now have the power to change that girl’s fate,_ she pointed out softly. Marinette dashed away her tears, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

“What if I mess up?” She whispered.

_You won’t. I believe in you, mon doux poussin. It is time you believe in yourself as well,_ Duusu said, her conviction seeming to resound in the young girl’s mind. _Let the flames of justice rain down upon them, my dear._

  
  


“Okay, so I just have to say _Let’s Pounce_ and I’ll transform?” Adrien double checked, fastening the fox tail shaped necklace around his neck. The little fox-like creature nodded sagely, his own tail sweeping out behind him in a serpentine motion. The blonde grinned, green eyes sparkling excitedly. “Well then… Trixx, let’s pounce!” Violet eyes sparkling, Trixx was sucked into the necklace around his neck and the orange magic washed over him in a wave. When the light faded, Adrien turned to inspect himself in the mirror and he had to admit, he liked what he saw. His usually neat blonde hair messier, spikier, the blond ending in orange and black tips. Covering a good portion of his face was an orange mask with a black strip lining the top and a white strip lining the bottom of the mask. The neck and shoulders of the suit were white, leading down into a thin strip over his chest and stomach and down his legs. The rest of the suit was orange, with black boots starting just below his knees and black gloves starting just below his elbows.

A pair of tall orange ears with black tips sat nestled in his hair atop his head and a bushy orange tail with a white tip exuded from his backside. He flicked his ears, swung his tail, and bounced on the balls of his paw-like boots, green eyes wide with glee. Attached to his hip via an orange sash-like belt was an orange and white flute. He detached it and twirled it between his fingers. The weight felt right, natural as he stopped the twirling and reattached it to his hip. Twisting back and forth, he admired himself in the mirror a moment longer before turning to the steps that led up to his rooftop balcony. Boundless energy seemed to fill the boy and suddenly he needed to run and leap and just _move_.

Scrambling lithely up the steps to his bed, the boy pushed through the trap door in his roof and stepped onto the balcony. The warmth of the sun beat down on his back and he stretched, arching his back and reaching his arms up over his head. His tail quivered with the force of his stretching and when he dropped his arms, he felt ready to take on the world. Leaping onto the thin railing, he found himself easily adjusting his center of balance to avoid falling. His tail swished languidly behind him and his ears flicked up, swiveling back and forth. It was incredible, how sharp his senses were, and he took a moment to relish in the new sensations all around him. The way the light breeze ran over his ears and ruffled through his tail fur. He could hear and smell everything too. The smell of croissants baking in the bakery below, the smell of trees and grass from the park down the road, the excited shouting of children as they played on the nearby playground.

With a wide grin, the blonde leaped, and then he was running. He alternated between running on all fours and running on two legs and found both gaits were as natural as breathing. He leaped and rolled and flipped and danced across the rooftops, ears up and eyes shining, his tail streaming out behind him. Eventually, his excitement reached a boiling point and he couldn’t help but let out a whoop of joy, drawing the eyes of the Parisians below. He didn’t mind though. Let them speculate on his sudden appearance all they wanted; they would soon come to find he was here as their friend, their protector. At one point he paused, smiling as he looked down at the crowd from his rooftop perch. A cheeky grin curved his lips and he offered the people a two-fingered salute as they filmed him curiously.

He moved on before long, making his way across Paris and exploring the city he called home from a new vantage point that few would ever experience. It was as the sun was just beginning to sink on the horizon and he was contemplating turning back towards home when a new scent filled his nose. The scent was decidedly feminine. It had come as a bit of surprise to Adrien that he could discern a person’s gender by scent, but not he was certain that it was a female. She smelled sweet, like cocoa butter and honey, and there was something about the scent that drew him in. Turning, Adrien followed the scent back across the city to the less populated warehouse district. His nose twitched, curiosity pushing him onward as the streets became less and less populated and more and more run down. The scream sent a jolt straight to his core, freezing him in place for a fraction of a moment before he was off like a shot.

He followed the girl’s scent, instinctively knowing that she would be wherever the scream had originated from, and despite never having even laid eyes on her he felt an overwhelming wave of protectiveness crash over him. Eventually, he found her near one of the smaller warehouses, easily identifying her as the one in the blue outfit that was similar to his but wildly different all the same. Trixx had mentioned he had a partner, and he was guessing this was her. His entire being positively vibrated with glee at the process and he found himself wanting to bask in her warm presence and sweet smell. He wondered if that was a fox thing, but didn’t have time to dwell on it because suddenly the girl was moving.

Adrien watched in awe as she held out her hand, something small materializing in her grasp. The movement was so natural like she had done it a thousand times before, and there was no hesitance as she snapped the fan open and strode into the clearing. The boy stiffened, fear for his partner filling him as he watched her approach the three men. She was so small, and so grossly outnumbered, and he yearned to go out there and help her, but something held him back. So he watched as she came to a stop, clearing her throat sharply until the three men and the girl they were holding captive turned to look at her.

“Let her go,” the girl commanded, and her voice seemed to resonate powerfully through the clearing. The men shared a look, snickering in amusement, and the one standing watch drew closer with a malicious smile.

“Look at the pretty birdie, boys. Take a wrong turn, sweetheart?” He asked, his voice sounding deceptively soft. The girl stood her ground and Adrien found himself slinking through the shadows until he was behind the three men and could see the girl clearly. Her expression was unreadable, half her face hidden behind the span of her fan. Only her eyes were visible, watching the man before her with rapt attention.

“I don’t like repeating myself. Let. The girl. _Go,”_ She said firmly. The men chuckled in amusement at her demands.

“How about you _make us_ , pretty birdie?” The lookout suggested, reaching out for a log of her blue-black hair. What happened next happened so fast, Adrien wasn’t even sure how it happened. The girl’s free hand flashed out to grasp the man’s wrist before he could touch her, and with a sharp twist, the sound of bone snapping seemed to fill the clearing. She released him and he fell back, screaming as he clutched his broken limb. The other to men stood, stunned, for a moment longer before releasing their captive and rushing her. The girl glanced at them over her shoulder, seeming almost bored. Her wrist flicked out, the fan splaying out as if it had a mind of its own, and two of the feathers detached and flew at her attackers. The feathers, darts he realized, hit both men spot on and with almost scary accuracy, disappearing in a puff of sparkles. The men froze, and it was as if some unknown force drove them to their knees. Tossing her head, the woman stepped over the first man, plucking a third dart from her fan and slamming it into his neck before her eyes found those of the girl.

“Get out of here. You will speak of this to no one, am I clear?” The girl in blue demanded, her eyes flashing a warning. The girl nodded rapidly and spun, fleeing the scene, while his new partner reached down and grasped the man at her feet by the collar. This is when Adrien chose to make his presence known, stepping out of the shadows with a wide grin.

“Good evening, _Dame Bleue_ ,” he greeted jovially. The girl flinched and shot upright, releasing the man as she spun to face him. Her right hand flashed out, no doubt to summon her weapon, and the boy quickly held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Woah, Woah, Woah. I come in peace,” he assured, green eyes wide with nervousness. The girl hesitated, blue gaze sweeping over him warily.

“Why are you dressed like me?” She asked, looking more curious than anything else.

“I, uh… I think I’m your partner,” he offered with a shy smile. “Renard Rusé, at your service, _ma belle_ ,” he added with a gallant bow.

“Partner? Duusu said nothing about a partner,” she responded suspiciously, blue eyes narrowing to slits.

“Duusu? Is that your Kwami?” Renard asked curiously. She nodded slowly, still not seeming to entirely trust him, but that was okay. He would gain her trust eventually. “What do you call yourself?”

“Phoenix Rising,” she said after a long moment.

“I like it,” Renard said, drawing closer with a hopeful grin, before gesturing to the men frozen around them. “So, should I call the police and get these guys taken care of?”

“The police?” The girl seemed genuinely confused by this as she looked at the three men before returning her gaze to his.

“Well, yeah. We can’t just let them go,” he pointed out. There was a long moment of silence as the girl stared at him, and then a smile slowly curved her lips.

“Knock yourself out, fox boy,” she snorted, grabbing the man once again and dragging him over to join his two cohorts. Renard watched her before slowly turning away and pulling out his flute. Trixx had said that their weapons doubled as communication devices, after all. He was just beginning to dial the emergency number when the girl spoke softly, and the scent of ash seemed to fill the air.

“Hey, what are you-” he began, turning around.

“ _Divine Judgment_ ,” Phoenix murmured, holding one gloved hand over the three men. Blue flames flickered over her fingertips, growing and rising above the three men. Renard balked, momentarily captivated by the beautiful sight. The blue flames continued to gather and slowly take shape until they formed a great bird made entirely of fire. A Phoenix, he realized with a start. The bird seemed to take on a life of its own, spreading its wings wide and climbing into the darkening sky overhead. It circled a few times, and then it dove with a keening screech that had the boy flinching back and clapping his hands over his ears.

The Phoenix slammed into the three men, just as they woke up from whatever spell the girl had placed upon them. The flaming wings wrapped around them like a blanket and their screams of agony rent the air. Renard released his ears and lunged forward with a shout, intent on doing _something_ to save the three from their fiery fate, but the girl caught him easily and held him back. It didn’t take long before the flames fizzled out, leaving only ash in its wake. Renard’s horrified gaze found Phoenix’s, and he took a step back as he met her gaze. Her eyes were still blue, but now the pupil seemed to glow red and there was a feral look of glee on her face that rocked him to his very core.

“What- what did you do _that_ for!?” He shouted, incredulous. The girl snorted, pupils fading back to black.

“Judgement has been cast, Renard. It is done,” she said, turning away. Snarling, the boy reached out and grasped her wrist, halting her before she could leave.

“You can’t just murder people, Phoenix! That’s wrong. Murder is _bad_ ,” he stressed, raking his free hand roughly through his blonde hair.

“I did not murder them. Judgment was cast upon them and it demanded blood as retribution for their sins,” she snarled.

“Yeah, that’s still pretty much murder!” He shrieked hysterically. The girl rolled her blue orbs and jerked her wrist from his grasp.

“They got what was coming to them.”

“You can’t do that again,” Renard said, taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself. This was bad, but he could fix it. She just didn’t understand their role as heroes. That was fine, he could just teach her and then everything would get better. The girl, however, scoffed derisively and gave him a haughty look.

“I will cast judgment upon whoever I wish and if judgment demands blood, that is her business,” she sneered.

“I- I’ll stop you,” Renard threatened.

“I’d like to see you try, _chiot_ ,” she purred, drawing closer until they were nose to nose. “Give it your best shot.”

Before the boy could stop her, the girl spun on her heel and leaped away, disappearing before he had a chance to stop her. Renard stared at the spot she had disappeared, then looked at the three piles of ash that were now trailing away in the evening breeze. His stomach twisted violently and keeling over he vomited what little food was in his stomach. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, the boy reluctantly started towards him, mind racing as he tried to come to terms with the fact that his partner thought murdering people was okay.

He knew he had to stop her, but Phoenix was strong and he couldn’t help but fear he would come up short in the face of her natural prowess. But, he reasoned as he landed on his balcony and allowed his transformation to drop, he didn’t really have a choice. When he had agreed to wield Trixx, he had vowed to protect the citizens of Paris. If that now meant going up against his own partner, then so be it. He would do it, for his city and for the people he had sworn to watch over, he would stop Phoenix Rising… or he would die trying.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me six. FUCKING. Hours to write. My gawd lol


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally meant to have more Adrien/Marinette interactions in this chapter but instead, you got a bit of insight on the Miraculous xD next time, I promise you'll get to see more Adrien/Marinette interactions! This one was starting to run a little long and it was as good a place as any to cut it off haha

Despite being a famous model, Marinette Agreste was most likely the clumsiest person on the planet. So it was that her transformation gave a final beep before releasing in a hail of blue sparkles, just as she reached her windowsill and, being the klutz she is, one foot snagged on the outside of the window while the rest of her body pitched forward. She squawked, arms windmilling in an effort to regain her balance, but it was too late and with a sound similar to that of a strangled cat, Marinette fell flat on her face with a loud  _ whump! _ She groaned in protest, her face smarting where it had connected with the carpeted floor, while Duusu floated gracefully down to land amongst her hair.

“Are you okay?” She asked, leaning forward to get a better look at where the model’s face was still buried within the plush ivory carpet. The girl mumbled something that was completely unintelligible and the little blue Kwami frowned and ruffled her feathers. “Marinette? Are you quite alright?”

The girl finally turned her head to the side, the need to breath winning out over her embarrassment, and the Kwami fluttered into the air briefly before landing back atop the girl’s head and peeking down at her face. The imprint of the carpet was embedded in her skin in angry red marks that would hopefully fade within the hour, and there were tears pricking the corner of her eyes. “I  _ said _ I think I broke my smolder,” the girl whined, referencing one of her favorite Disney Movies. Duusu just cocked her head in confusion. It had been over a century since her brooch had last been possessed, and so she had never seen the movie.

“What do you mean? Is your face going to be alright?” She asked, blue and red eyes wide with worry. Marinette’s lips quirked up at the obvious concern in her tone and after a moment she found it within herself to push up and clamber to her feet.

“I’ll be fine, Duusu,” she assured, holding out her hand for the Kwami to settle on her palm. The little Goddess did so, heaving a sigh of relief as she finally rested her weary body, and now it was her holder’s turn to look concerned. “Are you okay, Duusu? Can I get you anything?”

“Yes, child. Some fruit would be nice. Kwami must eat to recharge after a Transformation, as it sucks a lot of energy out of us,” she explained, her tail feathers drooping and her eyes drifting half shut. Alarmed, Marinette quickly found the little creature a comfortable spot among the pillows on her white sectional before hurrying over to the intercom on the wall beside her door. She punched in the three digit code that would page down to the kitchen and a moment later a voice came over the speaker.

“Yes, Mademoiselle Agreste? How might I serve you today?” The Chef, Hans, asked immediately.

“I’m feeling a bit peckish, Hans. Could you send a large platter of our finest fruits and veggies up to my bedroom?” She asked sweetly.

“Of course! It will be right up, mademoiselle!” He agreed instantly.

“Thank you, Hans,” she said before lifting her finger from the com button and returning to stare down at the Kwami. She looked so tiny, curled into a ball amongst the pink pillows that adorned the couch, though she lifted her head when she sensed her holder’s presence. “Your fruit will be up momentarily, Duusu.”

“Thank you, Marinette,” she said kindly, laying her head back down after one last smile. Marinette left the Kwami to it, and instead went to her desk and began sorting through her Homework Binder. Thanks to years of Homeschooling, Marinette typically found herself excelling in her classes in public school. Often, she felt the courses she took were almost  _ too _ easy, even though most of them were advanced courses. Then again, she hadn’t gone to school to find more challenging work; she had gone to make friends. Not that it had done much. To this day, Chloe was still her only real friend. The other kids tended to not really like her because they felt she was just like Chloe. They had never given her a real chance and that was okay. She could handle their coldness, their indifference. As long as she had Chloe at her back, she would be fine.

Besides, school was still a chance to get away from the house for a few hours each day so she would count that as a win. Despite the relative ease with which she managed her classes, the workload could often be a little daunting especially now that she entered her senior year. Between her upcoming Senior Project and her normal homework, not to mention her modeling schedule, it would be a lot for anyone to manage. Luckily, her time management skills had always been near flawless and so she pulled out her physics homework first and began working through the problems. AP Physics was her favorite course, and the most difficult she was currently taking, and she loved the challenge of working through the formulas. In another life, she might have considered being a physics teacher, but if nothing else, she shared her adoptive father’s passion of fashion and honestly couldn’t imagine a life where she didn’t take over the company if and when her father ever retired.

She had managed to finish four of the ten problems when a knock on the door indicated the arrival of her fruit platter. Rising, the dark-haired girl scurried to the door and opened it, allowing one of their kitchen staff to wheel in a white tablecloth covered trolley into the room. A silver platter was atop the trolley, which the man swiftly set on her coffee table before removing the lid with a flourish. He said something, but Marinette was too busy making sure her Kwami was out of sight to pay attention. When he left, she thanked him politely and then shut and locked the door. Duusu had wasted no time in moving to sit on the edge of the platter and was nibbling on a piece of pineapple. The man had left a small plate in case she didn’t want to eat directly off the platter, so the girl filled it with a few veggies and some rant and returned to her homework.

It took about an hour, but she finished the work that was due the next day and returned everything to her impeccably organized binder before pushing back from the desk with a huff. With her homework done, she had no other obligations for the rest of the evening and had to consider what she wanted to do with her free time. She could search up a new anime online, she supposed, or read some of her manga. She could also be extra studious and read ahead in her History or Mathematics books but she didn’t really feel like it. Getting up, she wandered over to the couch to see Duusu had finished eating and was dozing off. The girl was about to turn away when the Kwami stirred and her eyes opened, immediately finding her holder’s gaze.

“You have something to ask me,” she stated, sitting up and adjusting her tail feathers. The girl looked mildly surprised, then sheepish.

“Y-yeah… h-how’d you know?” Marinette rounded the couch and sat down, angling her body to face the tiny creature. The position still felt kind of awkward, so she offered a hand to the tiny critter, who didn’t hesitate to hop onto the girl’s palm. Marinette lifted her to eye level as she began to respond.

“I can sense your curiosity; see a question in your eyes. I am millennia old, Marinette. Everyone has tells and I’ve spent many, many years developing the ability to read those tells,” the Kwami explained with a shrug of her tiny shoulders. The girl nodded, processing the fact that this tiny creature was thousands of years older and wiser than her, before asking the question that had been burning in her mind.

“Those men… are they really dead?” She finally asked, brow furrowing.

“Who told you they were dead?” The Kwami asked, for while she could speak to the girl in the suit, she couldn’t actually see what she saw.

“Um… I think he called himself Renard Ruse?” The girl frowned. “He said he’s my partner…”

Duusu looked surprised before her nose wrinkled. “Renard? Your partner is a fox?”

“Y-yes,” she said hesitantly, suddenly questioning her memory a bit. “Is he not supposed to be?”

“The Fox Kwami, Trixx, is typically paired up with the Turtle Kwami, Wayzz. They are Deception and Wisdom respectively. The Main Miraculous Jewels come in pairs, except for the Bee Kwami, Pollen, which stands for Loyalty.” Duusu explained, and Marinette was so intrigued that she forgot her previous question in favor of learning more about the Kwami and their jewels.

“How many Kwami are there?” She asked, her blue eyes alight with curiosity.

“In the world? Too many to count. But the one who gave you my Miraculous, he holds the seven main jewels, as well as eight from the Chinese Zodiac line of Miraculouses,” she explained, head tilting thoughtfully to the side.

“What are the seven main jewels? And who gave me your Miraculous? Is it the same person who gave Renard  _ his _ Miraculous? How did  _ he _ get ahold of them, anyway? Also what are-” The rush of questions had the Kwami’s eyes widening in surprise and amusement and she quickly placed one paw against her holder’s mouth, stopping the flow of questioning.

“Slow down, Marinette! Remember, we have all the time in the world to answer these questions,” she teased and the girl gave her a sheepish smile in return.

“Sorry, I guess I just got excited,” she explained with a shrug.

“That’s quite alright, child. Now, then… I’ll start by saying I can’t tell you  _ who _ gave you the Miraculous. You will meet the Guardian in good time. I  _ can _ tell you he wields the Turtle Miraculous, as all Guardians do, and trained for many, many years to be the Guardian of the Miraculous,” she explained, earning an understanding nod from the girl. Satisfied Marinette wouldn’t press the issue, she continued.

“The seven main jewels are the most powerful of all the Miraculous in the world, but the two most powerful are the Ladybug Earrings and the Ring of the Black Cat. Tikki, the Kwami of Creation, inhabits the Earrings; Plagg, the Kwami of Destruction, inhabits the Ring. They are, of course, a pair,” she explained, tail feathers ruffling as she settled more comfortably in the girl’s hand. “Next, we have Trixx and Wayzz, but I’ve already told you basically everything about them. I can add that Trixx inhabits the Necklace of the Fox, while Wayzz inhabits the Jade Bracelet,” she said.

“That’s four… and you make five. What about the other two? You mentioned a Bee Kwami?” The ravenette pressed eagerly, earning a fond smile from the Kwami before she continued.

“Pollen, the Bee Kwami. She inhabits the Comb of the Bee and represents Loyalty as I mentioned previously. She does not have a counterpart, thankfully. I, personally, would not want to associate with a Kwami that represented  _ dis _ loyalty, would you?” Duusu chuckled, glancing at her holder who obediently shook her head ‘no’. “I thought not. The final two are yours truly and my  _ normal _ partner.”

“You stand for Justice, right?” Marinette recalled and the Kwami nodded her approval.

“I do. The Peacock of Justice, which inhabits the Peacock Pin. My usual partner is Nooroo, the Butterfly Kwami. He inhabits the Butterfly Brooch, and represents Kindness and Generosity, she explained, and there was a gentle smile on her face as she spoke of her partner.

“Kindness and Generosity don’t sound like the opposite of Justice,” Marinette pointed out, confused. The Kwami shrugged.

“Justice can be harsh and cruel at times; Nooroo tempers that harshness and cruelty,” she explained. “That being said, it is uncommon for the Guardian to put two opposing Miraculous together as partners. I have to wonder at his reasoning,” she mused, frowning slightly.

“You don’t get along with Trixx?” The girl guessed, and Duusu immediately scrunched up her face and shook her head.

“No. Deception does not work well with Justice. He is a troublemaker, likes pulling pranks. He thinks himself funny; I know otherwise,” the blue Kwami huffed, rolling her eyes. Marinette couldn’t help but giggle. After a moment, she opened her mouth to ask the other questions burning at her curiosity, but the Kwami stopped her before she could.

“That is enough for now, child. You’ve has a long day, and you must get your beauty sleep,” she said gently. As if to prove her point, Marinette’s mouth suddenly stretched into a wide yawn and she blinked sleepily as a wave of exhaustion slammed into her. At the Kwami’s urging, the girl quickly showered and dressed in her pink silk, monogrammed pajamas and crawled into her bed. She was asleep practically before her head hit the pillow.

  
  
  
  


Adrien wasn’t sure he had ever been quite so exhausted and all his eighteen years. His limbs felt heavy and lethargic, and his eyelids drooped as he stumbled down the steps from his bedroom. After arriving home from the battle, Adrien had a long conversation with Trixx as they tried to figure out the best course of action to take. Logically, they knew Phoenix Rising had to be stopped but Trixx was hesitant at going full out on the girl and Adrien had to agree. Surely this girl, Phoenix, was just a little misguided. Trixx had pointed out that Duusu, the Peacock Kwami of Justice, could be a bit extreme in her actions at times and didn't always think things through. So the obvious course of action would be to teach Phoenix right from wrong; to show her another way, a better way, to deal with their enemies.

Grabbing a croissant from the plate on the kitchen counter, Adrien bid his mother a quick goodbye with a kiss to her cheek and headed down through the bakery. He called out a farewell to his father, as well, as he slipped through the crowded bakery and out the front door. It was fortunate that his high school was so close by because Adrien made the four block walk in a daze. He was lucky he didn’t get hit by a car crossing the street. He was so tired. Even after Trixx had retired to bed after eating a couple of blueberries, the boy had laid awake long into the night thinking about the strange and powerful girl that was supposed to be his partner. Eventually, sleep had claimed him, but it was in the wee hours of the morning and it seemed like only moments later that his alarm was going off.

“Adrien!” 

The boy perked up slightly, grinning widely as his name was called by one of his two best friends. The girl, Alya Cesaire, was standing by the front steps of the school with a wide grin on her face, waving her phone frantically in the air in her excitement. Picking up the pace, he joined the girl by the front entrance and immediately her phone screen was thrust uncomfortably close to his face.

“Oh… my…  _ gawd _ … you will not  _ believe _ what I saw yesterday! Go on, try to guess!” She shrieked, bouncing ecstatically and completely unaware of the fact that she might have just made his ears  _ bleed _ .

“Alya, I barely slept last night. Just tell me,” he bemoaned, and thankfully the redhead was too excited to insist he at least try to guess because he honestly couldn’t fathom what had her so happy at the butt crack of dawn.

“I saw a  _ real,  _ live  _ SUPERHERO _ !!!” She squealed, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him like a ragdoll. Welp. If he wasn’t awake before, he certainly was  _ now _ . And not just because he had just had the living daylights shaken out of him.

“O-oh, r-really? That’s c-cool,” he said nervously, almost hyper-aware of the Kwami hidden in the messenger bag over his shoulder.

“Cool? Cool!?! This is the  _ literal best day of my life _ ,  _ ever _ ,” Alya said, looking mildly offended, and her volume was still way too loud for dumbass-o’clock in the morning.

“Why is it the literal best day of your life?” Nino asked, approaching the pair from behind. Adrien breathed an almost inaudible sigh of relief because if there was one person who could temper Alya’s crazy, it was her forever chill and easy-going boyfriend, Nino Lahiffe, Adrien’s other best friend.

“Hey, Nino,” he greeted with a weak smile as the other boy came to a stop beside the pair. “Alya here was just telling me about-”

“-the fact that I saw a real superhero!!!” Alya cut the blonde off to exclaim, her hazel eyes shining excitedly. Nino looked skeptical until Alya shoved her phone in  _ his _ face. Adjusting his glasses, the scrawnier of the two boys plucked the phone from her grasp and moved it to where he could actually see the screen. Curious despite himself, Adrien sidled up beside him and leaned over his shoulder to look at the phone as well. And wouldn’t you know it, that was definitely  _ him _ , dressed as a fox and leaping across the rooftops of Paris. 

“Are you sure this isn’t just some furry doing Parkour?” Nino deadpanned when the video ended, arching a brow and handing the phone back to its owner. Two offended gazed immediately swung his way.

“I know a superhero when I see one!” Alya said, at the same time Adrien squawked, “hey, he isn’t a  _ furry _ !”

“How would either of you know? Did you see him using any superpowers? To me it looks like some weirdo in a fox getup, jumping across rooftops,” Nino pointed out pragmatically. Adrien and Alya glared at him until he put up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. We’ll say he’s a superhero. Did you at least get the guy’s name?”

Adrien was about to open his mouth and tell them when Alya thankfully cut in and he remembered that supposedly he hadn’t actually seen the guy and therefore wouldn’t know his name. “Unfortunately he didn’t talk to anyone; just stopped to wave and pose for a few pictures before moving on,” she said sullenly before perking up visibly. “But I’m gonna track him down and when I do, I’m going to be the first person in Paris to land an exclusive interview with Mr. Fox himself!”

The warning bell rang then, and the three turned as one and headed up the steps and into the school building. They were still discussing the possible new superhero and making bets on what his superhero name was (Adrien really needed a new sketchbook for his cake designs; so sue him) when they finally made it to their homeroom class and took their seats. The three had sat in the same seating arrangements since middle school, and with each year that they found themselves in the same classes saw no reason of changing it now. So, they took up their seats on the side of the room closest to the door, with Alya sitting in the front row and Adrien and Nino sitting one row behind her. Of course, the seating arrangement had one other advantage for Adrien, considering a literal  _ angel  _ sat directly in front of him every single day, in every single class.

He sighed dreamily, ignoring the knowing grin on Nino’s face or the roll of Alya’s eyes. They had known of his silly crush on Marinette Agreste since it began in middle school. Nino was more or less supportive, but Alya still didn’t like the girl. Although Marinette was forever polite and never attempted to bully anyone, she was rather aloof and only really interacted with Chloe. She occasionally attempted to stop Chloe’s bullying, which you might think would endear her to some of the other students, but her general unwillingness to make friends kind of killed any hope of that. Most of the students thought she was stuck up and thought she was better than them because she was a rich and famous model. Adrien thought she was just shy.

The rest of class trickled in slowly; Alix, Max, and Kim entered as a group and took their seats farther back. Mylene and Ivan entered hand in hand and took their seats together. Rose and Juleka followed not long after, elbows hooked together as the tiny blonde in pastel pink chattered happily to her gothic girlfriend. Chloe swept imperiously into the room, nose in the air, while Sabrina scrambled after her. Nathaniel entered just before the bell rang and slipped silently to his seat, sketchbook clutched in his hands. The final bell rang, and the teacher entered and began taking roll, and Adrien’s heart sank dejectedly. Nino gave him an apologetic look as the blonde slipped further down in his seat, wondering if perhaps the girl of his dreams had a photoshoot he had somehow missed in the semi-obsessive/creepy schedule he had on her.

Before he could sink further into his misery, however, the door burst open to reveal a panting girl with flushed and freckled cheeks and alarmed blue eyes. Her cheeks flushed deeper as the teacher glared and most of the other students looked on with expressions varying from disinterest to distaste (mostly Alya), and her shoulders hunched uncomfortably. Adrien barely noticed though because  _ wow  _ did she ever look great. Marinette had apparently foregone her usual attire and hairstyle for when she wasn’t modeling. Instead of pigtails, her hair was down and curled. She wore a navy blue skater dress that fell to her knees, a large ivory ribbon and bow around her waist. The bow was in the front, not the back, which was as unusual as it was charming. The dress had a halter neckline, leaving her arms sleeveless and bare. Her legs were also bare, and she wore a pair of strappy black heels on her feet.

“I am so sorry I’m late, Madame Sinclair,” she apologized, ducking her head against the stared of her classmates and hurrying to her seat. She almost tripped and a few of their classmates tittered in laughter until a glare from Adrien shut them up. The girl didn’t notice his help as she quickly slid into her seat and dropped her head against the desk with a loud  _ thwack _ that honestly sounded like it hurt. Adrien frowned, concerned for the girl he had been head over heels for since Middle School, but he didn’t have time to ask her if everything was alright before their teacher continued roll call. Instead, he settled for staring worriedly at the back of her head for the rest of class, which is why he knew for certain that she didn’t raise her head even once during the entirety of the lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> Your feedback gives me life! Comment, Comment, Comment, please! The more comments I get, the more muse I have, which means faster updates!


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